|

Adventures in New Brunswick Week—A Bounty of Seafood Leads to Exceptional Dining

I won’t soon forget dining on halibut so tender and sweet at Alma’s Parkland Village Inn that, of course, it was just caught that day by the father of the girl working the front desk. It was remarkable to look out over the Bay of Fundy at low tide and see that the entirety of the water from our 2-hour paddle that afternoon was gone, replaced by the ocean floor that reached over a kilometer long. New Brunswick is blessed with some of the finest restaurants in the country thanks to the bevy of seafood caught nearby. St. Andrews Rossmount Inn was once again at the top of its game, serving oysters on the half shell, poached lobster, and halibut ceviche, all more sublime than the last. We ended the trip at another one of my favorite restaurant in the Maritimes, East Coast Bistro in Saint John. Chef Kim was hosting one of her signature cocktail and themed dinners, this time focused on the cuisine of Japan. I was the lucky recipient of just-caught yellowfin tuna, encrusted with black sesame seeds on a bed of soba noodles, and paired with tender asparagus and snap peas. It could easily rival any dish in my hometown of Boston. Other highlights included the wonderful smoked salmon jerky at Oven Head Salmon Smokers and the fish and chips nearby at Ossie’s Lunch in Bethel, the mussels at Saint John Ale House, the Rye IPA on tap and pickled eggs (apparently good for hangovers) at Holy Whale Brewery in Alma, and the tasty strawberry rhubarb cobbler at Calactus in Moncton. It’s the adventure that keeps me coming back to New Brunswick, but once here, it’s hard not to rave about the freshly caught seafood and the talented chefs creating memorable meals. 

I want to thank Heather MacDonald-Bossé of Tourism New Brunswick for designing another fantastic itinerary to the province. I also want to wish all my friends in Canada a Happy 150th birthday! Enjoy the festivities. To my American readers, have a Happy 4th and keep active. I’ll be back on July 6th. 
 

Similar Posts

New Brunswick Week: The Debut of the Uncorked Tasting Room at Saint John City Market

Uncorked Tours at Saint John City MarketFor 9 years, sisters Gilliane and Nathalie Nadeau ran the popular Uncorked Tours, small group walking tours lasting 3 hours that gave visitors the inside scoop on those historic alleys and brick buildings that line the hillside neighborhood called Uptown. New Brunswick’s largest port was expected to receive a record-breaking 200,000-plus cruise ship passengers in 2020 and the Nadeau sisters employed a staff of 6, often doing 3 tours a day up to that point. But we all know what happened after that—the pandemic reared its ugly head and like many others, Gilliane and Nathalie were forced to pivot. They turned their attention to the oldest market in Canada, Saint John City Market, which dates back to the 1870s. Step foot inside and you can still walk up or down the original Market Street surrounded by purveyors like Lord’s Lobster, which have been serving lobster rolls, battered haddock, fish cakes and smoked salmon for over 60 years; Slocum & Ferris, which opened in 1895 and bakes fresh bread daily, ideally suited for a breakfast or lunch sandwich; and some of the newer vendors like Kim’s Korean Food, known throughout the city for his tasty bibimbap and ramen.

In the heart of the pandemic, Gilliane and Nathalie took a corner of this storied market and created a contemporary tasting room featuring New Brunswick’s best beers, wine, and microdistilleries. Grab a Foghorn Esty Extra Special Bitter on draught or a or a cocktail like Slocum’s Maple Smash made from Moonshine Creek White Pup. Locally curated art is found on the walls, currently photographs of the city. The sisters hired a curator who changes the art monthly. Outside is a patio lined with tables to enjoy a drink from 5 to 8 pm.

Afterwards, do yourself a favor and make a reservation at East Coast Bistro, my favorite restaurant in the province. I’ve been here at least a half dozen times, ordering fresh fish like Black Pepper Seared Tuna or Horseradish Glazed Salmon and always walked away with a smile on my face. Start with the dreamy mixed mushroom toast sweetened with walnut cream, or the gnocchi, soft as pillows and topped with homemade tomato confit—guaranteed to have you returning to Saint John as often as me.

|

Book a Room at the Three Mountain Inn

In 2004, I wrote a cover story for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine called, “So You Want to Own a B&B.” During my research, I met a great couple, Jennifer and Ed Dorta-Duque, who were taking a course on the ups and downs of running an inn. At the time, they had quit their jobs as software developers in Baltimore and had been searching for an inn for over 1 ½ years, looking at more than 50 properties in Annapolis, Pennsylvania, Cape Cod, Nantucket, and New York’s Finger Lakes region. Finally, they came upon the Three Mountain Inn in Jamaica, Vermont, and made the purchase. One visit to Jamaica, a quiet hamlet on the backside of Stratton Mountain, and you understand why. It’s close to the Grafton Cheese Company and the West River Trail in Jamaica State Park, which I included last year in a story on ten favorite foliage walks in New England for The Boston Globe.

In the seven years, they’ve run the inn, Jennifer and Ed earned accolades for their hospitality and food in such publications as Travel & Leisure and the London Telegraph. Then they got slammed by Hurricane Irene and their inn transformed into the Emergency Operation Center, the Firehouse, and shelter for displaced victims. The Route 30 bridge north of town is out and will most likely be out for the rest of the year. However, they’ve already created a bypass around the collapsed bridge, and, as of this week, the Three Mountain Inn is open for business. If you’re searching for a fall foliage retreat, this is one place that’s worthy of your support!

I’m off to the Atlantic Maritimes in eastern Canada the next week to fish for salmon on the Miramichi in New Brunswick, go oystering on Prince Edwards Island’s Malpeque Bay, tidal bore rafting in Nova Scotia, and sea kayaking off the coast of Newfoundland. I’ll be back September 28th. In the meantime, keep active!
 

|

Let it Rain at Olympic National Park

Thanks to La Niña, weather in the Pacific Northwest this winter is supposed to be more extreme than usual. Big whoop. They’re used to winter storms and lots of rain in these parts. So much so that two lodges in Olympic National Park are offering a Storm Watcher Package. Stay at Kalaloch Lodge, featuring breathtaking vistas of the raw Pacific Ocean shoreline from October 21, 2010 to March 13, 2011, and for $149 a night, you’ll receive one night’s accommodation, breakfast for two, two rain ponchos, and a souvenir fleece blanket designed with an Olympic National Park logo. Additional nights may be added at $99 a night. Lake Quinault Lodge, in the heart of the Olympic National Forest, is offering a Storm Watcher Package at $119 a night that includes one night’s lodging, a rainforest tour for two, and the option to add extra nights for a measly $50 rate. Visit Olympic National Parks and use the promotional code: STORM10 for Kalaloch and LQSTORM10 for Lake Quinault Lodge or call 866-297-7367.
 

|

Raft the Deerfield River in Massachusetts

This coming spring, due to excessive snowfall these past three months, New Englanders are blessed with more water in our backyard than we’ve had in years. “This May proves to be one of our best yet,” says Bruce Lessels, co-owner of the rafting outfitter, Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont, Massachusetts. Many of the whitewater rivers, like the Deerfield that Zoar Outdoor runs, gain their momentum from dam releases at power plants. The more water these plants have in their reservoirs from snow and rain, the more water you have to surge over rapids in a raft or kayak. Raft Zoar Outdoor’s most popular trip, the Zoar Gap. Minimum age is 7 and rates range from $69-$97 depending on age. Their highly regarded white-water kayaking school is also one of the best places to learn the sport in the northeast.

 
|

New in New York

I had lunch with Alyssa Schmid and Rachel Peace from NYC and Company last Thursday, and, not surprisingly, there’s a lot happening in New York City this summer. WorldPride will make its debut in the City June 26-30 to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Numerous cultural organizations have arranged exhibitions highlighting the Year of Pride, like the Mapplethorpe show now at the Guggenheim. I’ve already discussed the debut of The Vessel and The Shed at Hudson Yards on this page. The first-ever Equinox Hotel (to open in July) and the tallest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, the Edge (2020), will soon be joining them. MoMA will close in late June and reopen October 21st after its latest expansion. The TWA Hotel, residing in the former TWA Hotel Center from the 1960s, debuts on May 15th, bringing glamour back to JFK Airport. Ian Schrager’s Times Square EDITION just opened above Times Square to rave reviews. Aman and Six Senses properties will soon be unveiled. They’ll need all these hotel rooms for the record number of visitors arriving each year, a whopping 65 million visitors in 2018. 

 
|

Cruise the Great Lakes the Summer of 2012

Anyone who’s walked the steep sands of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the largest sand dunes west of the Sahara Desert, sea kayaked and camped on the secluded white sand beaches of the Apostle Islands, and hiked the trails of one of the least visited national parks in America, Isle Royale, can tell you firsthand the beauty of the Great Lakes. The problem has always been inaccessibility, especially to the northern fringes of these vast waters. Not anymore. Great Lakes Cruising has just announced that their spanking new 138-passenger vessel, the MV Yorktown, will sail Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan, along with sister ships Grande Mariner and Niagara Prince the summer of 2012. The eight to eleven-day itineraries include stops at Mackinac Island, Charlevoix, Sturgeon Bay, and Apostle Island. This comes on the heels of the opening of the new $21.5 million cruise pier in Detroit that opened last June, already expanding from 2 to 13 cruise ships in 2012.

 

Leave a Reply